MRSA Discussion Forum USA and Canada

hi everyone. i cant tell you how happy i am that we found this site. until now we did not know that there were others like us. and hearing new things about MRSA from all of you is wonderful. we knew nothing at all from the doctors here. my husband was diagnosed with MRSA over a year ago. his first out break of sores happened when he was in kuwait fighting. my husband is in the navy. when he came home he had 2 more sores so i made him go to the hospital. they gave him meds and cultured the boils. they got better and we never heard back from the hospital so we went about our lives. when he went back to the hospital a second time it was 3 months later it wasnt till then when they told us it was MRSA. but they never once told us that it can be passed along or how to treat it. we told just that it was a type of staoh and to take the meds and he would be fine. what a joke huh? well now its a year and a half later and low and behold my daughter who is 8 my mother-in-law and i now have MRSA and have broken out in the sores. i have my sore right now and let me tell ya it hurts so bad. i now feel bad calling my husband a baby when he had the sores. but i didnt know how bad this actually was until these past 3 weeks. i took my other 2 kids to the hospital tonight to get them tested. they did a culture from the nose. one doctor we saw told us not to tell the kids school because they didnt want anyone to panick. she also said that it is spreading through williamsport PA like wild fire. when i asked her why people are not being told she said for the same reason we should not tell the school so no one panicks. well let me tell you. that made me angry i could have spit fire. so i told the school. lol. i even wrote to our local newspaper today. but for now my husband and i are going to home school all 3 of our kids until we know more. i just cant find the answers we need to live a normal life. what has everyone else done. do you go on with life?i meanlike your social lives and going out to dinner or with friends and even shopping? i cant see how we can if you can pass it through a touch. none of our family and friends come around us. we are like outcasts right now because no one knows what to do. they see how it spread through our family and are scared. now i dont blame them at all but it hurts all the same. if anyone has any advice it would be so appriciated. our email addy is allthawaynavy5@aol.com. we are scared and lost. but it has been a huge help hearing all of you. we will keep all of you in our prayers. God bless.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #1 by Debby

Posted: August 23, 2005
at 04:35

We can feel for you and your family. Our daughter developed it after an unnecessary surgery. The doctor said she had a brain tumor. He went in and no tumor. But she developed MRSA and nearly died from the complications of MRSA and allergic reactions to vicamycin. She underwent 2 brain surgeries in 3 weeks. They tried to clean the infection out during the secon surgery. She has to endure another one for them to put a metal plate in her head. The bone plug was tto badly infected. They also had to scrape the brain tissure to try and remove all the infection. Is there nothing people like us can do?

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #2 by michelle and rob

Posted: August 23, 2005
at 05:43

hi debby. oh my. what a battle you are up against. i am so sorry. and i will pray for your family. we didnt get this by any hospital stays or any sergeries. my husband just got while over seas. its strange to hear all the diffrent ways people are getting it and i feel the worse for our children. the question you asked "is there nothing we can do" is the same one on my mind. i wish you the best of everything. and if you ever need to talk you are more than welcome to email at ...allthawaynavy5@aol.com. i know its always nice to talk to someone who is going through the same thing. but i thank god for this site. take care and good luck

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #3 by Liz

Posted: June 26, 2008
at 03:09

I am a MRSA three time surviser.In 2004 I got a red sore on my right leg.I went to the doctor.I was put on medication.On Dec.24,2004 I was in the hosital having surgery for MRSAover all part of my body.I went home on Christmas day withsix weeks of vicamycin and wet to dry dressing change threetime a day.IT took a total of six month to recover.Now I amgoing to write a book and tell the story more.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #4 by Lynn

Posted: March 5, 2009
at 04:34

I work in the medical community in Florida, and I am amazed that people are in general still clueless about what MRSA is, how it is contracted, and how we all are at risk for getting this infection, even if we don't go into the hospital for surgery or other procedures. I have a friend right now who is in the hospital with it, and they are doing a biopsy on her spine to see if there is a MRSA related tumor pressing on her spine, to explain her extreme pain and weakness in her legs. I didn't even know there was a tumor/MRSA relationship until I read about a boy who was paralyzed by a MRSA tumor that pressed on his spinal cord and did a lot of damage (very quickly). My friend told me they were just doing a tissue biopsy on the "swelling" in her spine, and were discontinuing the antibiotics they started her on for the MRSA which spread to her blood over the last few years since she was diagnosed. She has had recurrent outbreaks of boil-like eruptions in several places over her body, very painful ones. She found a lot of relief from them by using A and D Ointment with Zinc (they make it with or without the zinc. The zinc is very important). You can get it in the grocery or drug store OTC. But, please, please continue to spread the word about this infection. Our hospitals are rife with it, and our nursing homes, too. This news has to get out so people can make informed decisions. Other countries don't have this like we do, and if you need surgery, you might want to consider going out of the U.S. to get it if you have a choice. I see so many people coming home from the hospital with MRSA, C-Dif (uncontrollable diarhhea caused by a nasty bacteria), VRE and others. And wash your hands several times a day. Community-based MRSA can be gotten literally anywhere, through a small cut or scrape. Again, please spread the word, and inform yourself from the web on symptoms, treatment, etc. It is highly contagious. Thank you.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #5 by ruth

Posted: March 5, 2009
at 14:32

Magnesium and selenium inhibits MRSA ability to make toxins. So it doesn't hurt. Coconut oil will kill lipid coated bacteria which staph is.

Processed food which has transfat does not allow nutrients to be absorbed into body so this inhibits your immune system.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #6 by Our Story of MRSA

Posted: April 7, 2009
at 16:16

In January of 2008 my husband starting have really bad headaches so after about 2 weeks we went to his doctor to find out what was going on and she told him it was just stress. But he explained that he was not stressed about anything. SO she prescribed him some pain meds and sent him home. The headaches got worst so he went back to her and demanded she take some x-rays, reluctantly she did take an x-ray which she later said was fine. The next night I took him to the emergency room they did a CT scan and saw something and requested a MRI the next day. He did the MRI and when we got home he stared having seizures and was rushed to the hospital and they saw a tiny mass on his brain, he stayed in the hospital for 1 week and they gave him some meds to shrink it. Well a week later the he started seizureing again and was rushed back to the hospital and we found he had a larges brain mass the size of a fist and he had to be removed asap or it could burst and he could die. After the surgery the drs told me he had MRSA on his brain and it was removed but would be a long process of healing. They asked me if he ever had any kind of boils on his body before and I said yea, about 2 years earlier and 1 a month before. Well they explained to me that MRSA hardly ever goes to the brain and it was rare that this happen. Its has been a long healing process for my husband and all kinds of treatment and piclines in his arms and meds and its been 1 year since the first surgery. He is doing okay but still has headaches all the time and seizures every blue moon. Please if you get a boil like thing go to the doctor and have its tested for MRSA right away.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #7 by Jasmine

Posted: November 29, 2009
at 10:54

Hi..i am only 13 but about 2 yrs ago my dad had Mrsa, well he went to the doctor because he was having Horrible headaches and they prescribed him with 800mg ibuprofen, no cat scan or anything! well he took the medicine regularly and his ear started draining blood (he has always had ear problems with stuff draining out of his ear, long when he was a kid) and a friend came and forced him to go to a different hospital so they did and he was diagnosed with Mrsa in the brain. he was in ICU for over 2 months and the doctors said if he had not of gone that day he would of died. He still has the Mrsa it just isn't active but once you have it you can't get rid of it. Buy some disinfecting spray and always keep bathrooms, kitchens, anything clean. Wash your hands. Mrsa is said to be in pigs or something like that. That is most likely one of the reasons he got it because we lived on a hunting ranch with pigs and yes we did have to skin them..Mrsa isn't a fun thing so just remember to take care of yourself.I hope i helped in some way. Thanks

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #8 by Shyan Jones

Posted: December 17, 2009
at 17:27

hi. i am 15yrs old and have had three strikes of Mrsa. it is not fun! now i have it on my chin from picking at a pimple. it is so easy once you have it to get it again. i was worried because its on my face and i do not want it going to my brain. im a very clean person so i dont know why i have so many cases of it. but, ive never been to the hospital for it, but have had it cultured in the doctors office. it hurts like a bitch from hell!!! lol. but, thanks for listening, i hope the rest of you have better luck!

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #9 by ladyk

Posted: December 17, 2009
at 18:26

Shyan Jones -

I agree... it's not fun!

What are you doing to prevent outbreaks? Are you following common 'topical' care protocol using Hibiclens, antibiotic ointment, facial regimen like Pro-Activ?

What are you doing to support 'internal' care - immune support?

Are you aware MRSA drainage is a human contagion that can be cross contaminated to other sites about your body creating new lesions, and can be cross contaminated to others as well?

Donít pick~

ladyk

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #10 by tickyul

Posted: January 25, 2010
at 04:13

I am pretty sure I have Mrsa, lot of painful, pimple like rashes all over my forehead and stomach, definitely not acne.

On Dec, 31 2009 the rashes were out of control, and my blood pressure was elevated at 155/100, pulse was 110, sure symptoms of a bacterial infection in the blood.

On Jan, 1 2010, I started a new years diet, very low carb. I have lost quite a bit of weight and feel a lot heathier. My rash was horrible, it is now about 60% gone. I have been eating garlic and ginger and some raw green onions. I don't think the antibiotic effect of these foods are as strong as prescription drugs, but they also don't kill off the beneficial good bacteria. It will probably take quite a while to kill it all, I am pretty sure I have it in my blood. I think low carb is good for killing bacteria, lower sugar levels make an unfriendly environment for bacterial growth.

good lucl

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #11 by Bob Anderson

Posted: January 25, 2010
at 04:40

The best way to get the antibiotic effects of garlic is to crush a few of the cloves and let it set for an hour, add it to water and bathe the affected areas well. If the problem is on or near the surface, the garlic water will take care of it.

Eating garlic has far less antibiotic benefits.

Please read the thread on garlic and water for more information.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #12 by Lisa

Posted: February 27, 2010
at 02:34

My got MRSA from a surgery. Her doctor said you have MRSA like it was not big deal and put her on antibiotics for a week. This was the beginning of Oct. she as sick with fever, shakes, a shooting pain that went to the top of her head. We went back to the doctor every day in Oct. We went to the emergency room 8 times. We went to urgent care and to her Primary care dr. Finally, I suggested to sent her to Infectious Diesease. He immediately said she was never treated properly for MRSA. She was on a picline and antibiotics for 4 wks and then went off. She was sick 4 days later. Had another surgery and found MRSA again. Went back on Cubicin for 4 weeks. She is sick again and is in ICU. She knows when it is coming on. She has severe back ache, shooting pain to the top of her head. Then comes the uncontrollable chills, and then the fever. Now her abdomin hurts and is having kidney problems. They still can't find what is wrong with her. We think it is the MRSA. Her back gets tight and fire engine red. We need help with this. Will this ever end and has any1 else had these symptoms? Does any1 have answers. She went to the hospital with her blood pressure at 53/45 and all the above symptoms. Praying for her and a cure for a cure for MRSA

I can't give you any medical advice because I'm not a doctor; all I can do is talk in general terms rather than specific cases.

Crushed raw non-irradiated garlic in water can work miracles with infections but they won't let you use it in ICU...There's no FDA treatment protocol that includes any use of garlic in any form yet crushed raw non-irradiated garlic diluted in water kills MRSA on contact. The key words here are "on contact"; if the mrsa is deep inside, getting the allicin to it becomes increasingly difficult.

Please read the thread about crushed raw garlic in water as well as the other threads about garlic. I suggest you go to www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/health.htm for a more complete discussion about garlic and how to use it in many ways other than eating it to treat staph, probably none of which would be welcome in ICU even if they might work because garlic does not have the blessing of the FDA.

Good luck to you and your loved one.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #14 by Bob Anderson

Posted: February 27, 2010
at 05:45

Oh, yeah, I forgot - don't take just my word for it Google "staph and garlic". You'lkl be amazed at what you'll find.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #15 by MARTHA

Posted: March 3, 2010
at 05:35

I'm sorry to hear about your MRSA. It affected my life too! I got it at age 50 after having my appendix removed. The hospital was glad to discharge me and my Doctor was quick to point out that it was community based MRSA even though I had not left my home. They did not even swab my husbands nose to see if he was a carrying this in his nose. I decided to go to a specialist in infectious diseases to find out if I came clean for now. I highly recommend this. MRSA has become out of control. It seems to be a big secret. When I worked in Nursing Home they confined a patient to her room, staff wore gloves, masks, booties, gowns but did not even bother to tell the family why she was confined. The staff knew. I told the family. I lost my job. Its an unwritten code. Don't tell too much. These poor relatives had the right to know! I now substitute teach in an elementary school. Again, I have encountered children who have come down with this. I am not going to substitute anymore! My health is worth more than the few dollars they pay me! You have to be your own advocate. Make sure all of your family is tested! God BLess!

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #16 by kaskade

Posted: March 5, 2010
at 06:30

I'd like to report my own success with garlic...at least I THINK garlic is responsible for curing the symptoms of my first outbreak with MRSA a few years ago.

I came down with CA-MRSA and had classic "bug bites" that appeared one morning, multliplied by evening and hurt and itched like heck. My grown daughter had just acquired it and was lucky to be quickly diagnosed and the same clinic diagnosed me. I was prescribed a week's course of Clindamycin. After 7 days my sores did not feel better at all and were in fact worse and I had a new inflamed patch of cellulitis on my shoulder. I also felt a little ill and had a slight fever. I would have gone back to the clinic but it was a Sunday and I wasn't quite desperate enough to subject myself to the ER. I did some researching and decided to give garlic a try.

I did not use fresh garlic but happened to have some allicin tablets on hand. I soaked them in a small amount of water to soften them into a paste which I then began to apply to my shoulder many many times that day with a cotton ball. By evening the pain had subsided and by morning, the rash (cellulitis) was....GONE.

I guess that possibly the Clindamycin had just finally kicked in and maybe that was responsible for my symptoms abatement, but personally I feel it was the garlic. I have had a few very minor recurrences since then (about 4 years ago) and I feel very lucky that they were very minor, but I would use garlic to heal the sores sooner.

I wrote here about a month ago about my dad's skin problems which I believe are MRSA (sore bumps and now cellulitis) and doctors still are giving him the brush-off. I drove from another state to go with him to an appointment hoping I could convince the doctor to at least consider MRSA. He was rather sarcastic of my presence and concerns but finally decided to humor me and at least gave him a referral to a dermatologist. My father has had this for over 6 weeks now and I had actually forgotten about the garlic! He may have a wait for his referral appointment, but I now know I will be purchasing garlic for him tomorrow. I seemed to have good luck with the allicin tablets so I'll try that on him, esp. since I think it may be hard to find local, untreated garlic.

So glad to have seen this tonight.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #17 by Ann

Posted: March 5, 2010
at 08:15

Kaskade-- There are over 101 identified compounds in garlic.These compounds work together in ways we don't even comprehend. Allicin is just 1 compound extracted from the garlic. You might be better off just going to the grocery store and buying some fresh garlic and putting it in the blender with a little water.Or you could buy garlic from the spice department.Either granulated or powdered.If your Dad has numerous sores, you could try the allicin on one, the fresh on another etc.and see what's working best.It can also be taken internally.Just simmer the garlic in some water like soup.Be sure and smash it first. You could also dab this on the sores.If you can get some empty capsules, you could encapsulate your own garlic pills and give this in addition to the soup.Organic is best of course if you can get it. Good Luck!

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #18 by Bob Anderson

Posted: March 5, 2010
at 15:27

Kaskade -

Thanks for your story. It was pretty smart of you to rub it in at the site of the inflammation because that's what works to kill all staph, including MRSA. You could take a whole bottle of those pills every day and it wouldn't kill the staph, you have to put it right at the site.

Crushed raw garlic is the best way to go as long as the garlic has not been irradiated but there is an easy way to tell if garlic has been irradiated. Remove a clove from a bulb of garlic and cut it vertically down the middle and lay the two halves open and if there are tiny pale light green leaves in the center it is good garlic and has not been irradiated. If it has no tiny leaves in the center and instead there is a small open place where the leaves were but only a brownish residue, then that bulb has been irradiated and has no health benefits.

Garlic does not have to be grown organically to have health benefits as all non-irradiated garlic has health benefits, with hotter ones (when tasted raw) having more benefits than milder ones but milder ones are still strong enough to kill staph on contact unless the garlic is totally bland, and some cultivars are.

Garlic powder, not garlic salt, also usually works well with some being better than others depending on how it was made. Garlic that is not pretty enough to sell in stores is used to make garlic powder and only the nicest Chinese bulbs get irradiated and not all of them as only some companies irradiate, not all' you just have to know how to tell the difference.

Eating garlic builds the immune system but it doesn't kill MRSA, only direct contact by allicin or its fumes can do that. Putting it in water works wonders.

Some people are justifiably concerned about garlic aroma and it will be present but in my mind smelling like garlic for a little while is better than having MRSA for a long time.

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Re: our story of MRSAReply #19 by Bob Anderson

Posted: March 5, 2010
at 16:01

Ann -

It's always good to hear from people who know a little something about garlic.

I agree with what you said, right up to simmering the garlic in water. The heat breaks down the allicin into its breakdown polysulfides which are very healthy but are not nearly as potent as allicin in killing MRSA.

If you put the crushed garlic in unheated water, it retains its powerful antibiotic action, especially if you let the crushed garlic set for 15 minutes to an hour before putting it in the water in order to build up much more allicin.

You can drink water with a piece of crushed raw garlic in it and it will get more allicin into your system than if you eat the same clove because saliva and stomach acids quickly neutralize allicin whereas the water neutralizes saliva and stomach acid and more of the allicin finds its way into your bloodstream than you would get from chewing and swallowing the clove. Also, you would get a little energy buzz afterward.

I'm glad to see you learning more about garlic and I think the more people can learn about garlic the more it can help them in their lives. As you know, there's more to it than just eating it.